John Ashton, a renowned character actor best known for his star turns as the reluctant but eventually accommodating Chief Taggert in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, has died.
He was 76.
The “Midnight Run” actor died of cancer, a rep told TMZ. Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, according to a statement from his family on Sunday through his manager, Alan Somers.
Among Ashton’s most famous roles was his portrayal of Detective Sergeant John Taggart, the straight man for Eddie Murphy’s fictional Detroit cop, Axel Foley, who gets mixed up in shenanigans in Beverly Hills as he tries to solve his childhood best friend’s murder. Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood rounded out the trio.
There was no shortage of hilarious Taggart moments, and fans immediately began posting clips of their favorite scenes in tribute. There was that famous sucker punch to Foley’s stomach when they first meet at the station house. And of course the banana in the tailpipe. Then the one where Taggart falls into the pool as he’s hollering at Foley to get out of it.
American actors Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold and Ronny Cox on the set of Beverly Hills Cop II, directed by Tony Scott. (Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
All that was just in the first movie. Two sequels followed, “Beverly Hills Cop II” in 1987 and “Beverly Hills Cop III” in 1994. Thirty years after its 1984 release, the three-movie franchise released a fourth incarnation, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Netflix in April, in which Ashton again reprised his role.
In “Some Kind of Wonderful” Ashton played Eric Stoltz’s father, and he competed against Robert De Niro’s rival bounty hunter in “Midnight Run” alongside Charles Grodin.
Ashton was ubiquitous on both big and small screen, as he showed up in numerous television series from the 1970s to the ’aughts, from “Kojak” to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” among dozens of others, in a career spanning more than 50 years.
His survivors include his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye, as well as two children and three stepchildren, a brother and two sisters, and a grandson.
“John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come,” the family statement read.